


Not Ready Yet

by Merfilly



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Future, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-13
Updated: 2010-12-13
Packaged: 2018-01-13 17:55:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1235740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lian, in a future setting that disregards canon</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Ready Yet

Roy William Harper Jr was going to absolutely murder him, the girl below him, and probably Dinah Lance if Dick was recognizing those moves the way he thought he was. There was absolutely no way on the face of this planet or nine others Roy could have known, because Roy would have told him.

Wouldn't he have?

It didn't really matter, as Nightwing prepared to drop in on the fight, only to hesitate. Maybe Roy did know. Maybe that was how his daughter had gotten down here to Gotham, and why she was wearing what looked to be a very updated Arsenal costume.

His conscience twinged at him repeatedly; he had held that girl as a child, a baby, even. How in all that could be holy was he supposed to just pass on by, and then not say anything to Roy? Roy needed to know his little girl was working the streets as a vigilante. 

Yet, Lian was older than he had been when he started. She was even older than Roy had been. And there was the fact she was obviously highly trained, and well-equipped to boot. Still, Dick didn't like the idea of keeping secrets like this from his best friend. As the new Arsenal below him dropped her final opponent, he made his decision and dropped to the street.

"Dad know you're out here?" he asked, voice light and non-threatening.

Lian, for her part, didn't flinch, and just faced him squarely. "What gives me away?"

"I've seen you wear your hair in that pony-tail often enough. Complexion, height, certain ways you move...strangers won't see it, but your dad's ID has never been the greatest, which means yours is going to be rocky." Dick approved as she nodded and went to secure the thugs, rather than let his presence interfere with that key detail. "Info for info, kiddo," he prompted.

"No." She looked over at him after tightening the zip-strips on the first one she had downed. "You can't tell him."

"You know we're close, kiddo. So convince me."

"He's not ready yet," she answered, cool and dismissively.

"He's not... Kiddo, are _you_ ready is more the question."

"She is. And she's on my watch, Nightwing," came the quiet voice of Black Canary, as the senior vigilante stepped free of the shadows. Nightwing didn't let the fact she'd startled him show; he just reminded himself not to get so distracted. "Telling Red Arrow right now is not a good idea. It won't be long, but we need you to keep this secret."

"What she said," Lian added, having moved on to the second one.

Nightwing's eyes narrowed behind his domino. "You convince me, then, BC."

The blonde vigilante smiled, shook her head, and then looked at him pointedly. "How well did you take being told you couldn't?"

That stung, and Nightwing knew it was showing on his face below the mask. "It's a …."

"…. different world, yes I know, and that is why I insisted on being part of her process," Black Canary said. "She's mine. After all these years...I've finally taken one on. To make sure she doesn't go flying solo. But Red Arrow? Right now he'd clip her wings, and that would go very bad."

"Oh?" Nightwing pressed.

"Canary caught me in New York," Lian admitted. "We have a deal; she trains me, she doesn't tell Dad, and I don't go out on my own. Scout's promise and all that hoopla."

Nightwing thought about it, realized this was way more complicated than he really wanted to think about at two in the morning, and held his hands up and out in surrender. "I don't know a thing...but I still don't like it."

"I'll tell Dad...when he's more ready," Lian promised. "Until then, just know I'm in her hands."

Nightwing sighed. He didn't like it at all, but at least there was some safety line involved. "Alright." He readied a line to go back up to the rooftops. "Just don't yell my way when he hits the roof after finding out." With that parting shot, he was gone into the dark, still not really happy about having such a secret to hold.


End file.
